Chapter 1: Introduction to Word Parts and Medical Language Rules

Origins of Medical Terminology, Combining Forms, Prefixes, Suffixes, Language Rules for Building Medical Terms

Eponym

Term named after a person or place

Combining forms are written with a _____ followed by ____.

word root; a slash mark and combining vowel

When combining two combining forms, you…

keep the combining vowel

When combining a combining form with a suffix that begins with a consonant, you…

keep the combining vowel

When joining a combining form with a suffix that begins with a vowel, you…

drop the combining vowel

A prefix goes at the beginning of a word, and…

no combining vowel is used

When defining a medical word, start with the ____ first and then work…

suffix, left to right

a-, an-

no, not, without, negates meaning

ab-

away from; from

ad-

toward, at, increase, on

ante-

before

anti-

against, opposing

bi-, bin-

two, twice, double

brady-

slow

de-

from, down, away from

dia-

through, complete

dys-

painful, abnormal, difficult, labored

endo-

within, in

epi-

on, upon, over

eu-

normal, good

hemi-

half

hyper-

above, excessive

inter-

between

intra-

within, in

macro-

large, long

micro-

small

meta-

after, beyond, change

multi-

many

neo-

new

nulli-

none

pachy-

thick, thickening, thickened

pan-

all, total

para-

beside, beyond, around, abnormal

per-

through

peri-

surrounding (outer)

poly-

many, much

post-

after

pre-

before

pro-

before

sub-

below, under

supra-

above

sym-, syn-

together, joined

tachy-

fast, rapid

trans-

through, across, beyond

tri-

three

uni-

one

-a

noun ending, no meaning

-ac

pertaining to

-ad

toward

-algia

pain

-amnios

amnion, amniotic fluid

-apheresis

removal

-ar

pertaining to

-ary

pertaining to

-asthenia

weakness

-carcinoma

cancerous tumor

-cele

hernia, protrusion, swelling

-centesis

surgical puncture to aspirate fluid

-crine

to secrete

-cyesis

pregnancy

-cyte

cell

-desis

surgical fixation, fusion

-drome

run, running

-e

noun ending, no meaning

-eal

pertaining to

-ectasis

stretching out, dilation, expansion

-ectomy

excision, surgical removal, cut out

-emesis

vomiting

-emia

in the blood

-esis

condition

-gen

substance or agent that produces or causes

-genic

producing, originating, causing

-gram

the record, radiographic image

-graph

instrument used to record, the record

-graphy

process of recording, radiographic imaging

-ia

condition of, diseased state, abnormal state

-iasis

condition

-iatrist

specialist

-iatry

specialty treatment

-ic

pertaining to

-ictal

seizure, attack

-ior

pertaining to

-ism

state of

-itis

inflammation

-logist

specialist who studies and treats

-logy

study of

-lysis

separating, loosening, dissolution

-malacia

softening

-megaly

enlarged, enlargement

-meter

instrument used to measure

-metry

measuring, process of measuring

-oid

resembling

-oma

tumor, swelling

-opia

vision

-opsy

viewing, process of viewing

-osis

abnormal condition, increased number (blood)

-ous

pertaining to

-paresis

slight paralysis

-pathy

disease

-penia

abnormal reduction in number